Ready for War
by flying-cars
Summary: AU, James dies. "For this was war, and war was not discriminatory, and there was no way Death would give up the opportunity to take a life. James was only seventeen years old, and this was what it was like, being the victims of a war they barely understood."


**A/N: Inspired by the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.**

* * *

It was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year and Lily couldn't be more excited. It was seventh year; this trip was the first of her last trips whilst at school. It both frightened and excited her. Best of all, the sun was shining and the sky was clear. All good omens, in Lily's opinion.

Lily had linked arms with her best friend Mary and was happily walking towards The Three Broomsticks. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were up ahead, but even that couldn't destroy Lily's good mood.

A flash of red light appeared in Lily's peripheral vision. A howler, perhaps, on its way to the Post Office. Lily took no notice, but Mary did. She quickly unlinked arms and pulled out her wand.  
"Can you hear that?" she asked Lily in trepidation. Lily shook her head but upon doing so, heard what Mary did. Screams were echoing from the direction of the Shrieking Shack.

"It's just a joke," Lily said uneasily, but even she wasn't fooled. Her gaze immediately swept the area; other students had paused in their walking, taking their wands out as well. The marauders had set up in a square formation, protecting each other's back. Lily could see James talking but was too far away to hear what.

Remus spotted her. "Lily!" he shouted, gesturing for her to come closer. Lily tugged on Mary's hand and jogged over. She was three steps away from Remus when Peter fell down. More shoots of light were headed their way; in a reflex reaction, Lily quickly cast a protective shield.

"We need cover!" James yelled, also casting. "Remus, get Peter inside! Padfoot, cover me!" Without a glance back, James sped off into the middle of the street, shooting spells left and right and not giving himself a second thought. James was soon out of sight. Lily's ears were filled with screams of anguish and frightened voices. A black haze at settled around the outside of her vision but she could see falling bodies – shopkeepers, students, teachers – in every direction.

"Lily!" Mary screamed. Lily looked but she was too late; she could see the orange spell heading her way, if a little low. It was too late to raise her wand and try to protect herself. Suddenly, she was on the ground, and Mary was on top of her, crying out in pain. Lily gently rolled her off and glanced down. Mary's leg was now severed in half and bleeding profusely.

Her mind blanked. What use was she as a smart student if she can't even remember a simple healing spell? But that was what war did, she realised. It took people by surprise and exceeded their expectations. That's what made it so deadly. Lily was reminded that she was only seventeen years old with her best friends' life in her hands, and she didn't know what to do. Lily thought she was ready for this war. It turns out, she wasn't.

Remus appeared at her side. "I'll take her," Remus said urgently, waving his wand over her leg. "This won't stop the bleeding but it'll slow it down. No, leave your leg there, Mary, come on."

Lily was shell shocked. Her gaze lingered on Mary's right shin, still twitching and bleeding on the path. Choking back bile, Lily ran. She didn't know where she was running to but she just had to get away. She hoped she was heading towards Hogwarts, but her gaze was so unfocused she couldn't tell friend from foe, let alone see her surroundings.

Miraculously, all spells shot missed her. Lily could see that there were more people in black robes and silver masks than she'd ever seen. The ratio had to be at least two to one, in the Death Eater's favour. More people fell down and windows smashed, products being thrown into the street. With a single, wailing shriek, the Death Eaters disapparated in a wave of black smoke. A strange silence fell over Hogsmeade, but Lily could still hear people screaming… or was that simply her imagination, echoing the horrors of what she'd just witnessed? Lily ran faster, desperate to get away.

Within seconds of her renewed vigour, Lily barrelled into a narrow chest and fell over, landing on her rear. Immediately she rolled over and got back up, training her wand on her blockage. To her relief, it was only Sirius, looking pale and edgy. Lily tried to smile but ended up bursting into tears.

"Come on, Lils," Sirius said, gently tugging on her arm. "They're gone, it's safe now. They've set up a hospital in the Hogs Head."

To Lily's surprise, she had not been running to the safety of Hogwarts as she'd imagined, she'd been running further away from civilisation. Shaking her head at her stupidity, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked Sirius. Not only was he pale, but he was shaking as well. He shrugged.  
"Not really, but would you expect anything else?"  
Lily remained silent. This was war, and it had casualties. How many of her friends were injured today? How many more would be pulled out of school? Sirius led the way to the middle of the room, where a familiar messy-haired boy was lying. Lily gasped in shock.

"James!" Lily whispered. Sirius clung onto Lily's arm, more for his own support than her own, she supposed.  
"He's not going to make it," Sirius choked out. Tears brimmed in his eyes. "We don't know what he got hit with, but… but it's pretty bad, and now… he's delirious, you see, he doesn't recognise…"

Sirius' voice broke and he had to stop talking, shaking his head pitifully. Lily looked around the room to see the other victims of the short attack. Her Arithmancy professor was sitting upright, nursing her hand; a Hufflepuff third year Lily tutored appeared to be sleeping; Peter was sitting by James' side, as was Mary who now had a bandage around her leg. Someone had recollected the other half as it was sitting beside her grotesquely. Lily pulled Sirius to his best friends' side.

James turned his head to look at her as she sat. Lily couldn't help but feel a little guilty, almost as if she was stealing Sirius' spotlight, but it wasn't her fault that James was delirious, was it?

"It can't be Lily Evans," James said quietly, a small smile forming on his face. His hand shuffled over a little, reaching for hers. Lily hesitated in handing it over, but did so. "You're so close."  
"I'm here," Lily whispered, softly squeezing James' hand. She could feel Sirius sobbing beside her, and rested her hand on his knee. "So are your friends."  
"You're supposed to be in another world, Lily," James said, appearing to not have heard her. "Far away, with the sun and the clouds. I belong with the moon and stars, with… with…"  
"Remus," Lily supplied.  
"With Moony," James said firmly, his eyes flickering to where Remus stood rigidly. A single tear slid down his cheek.  
"And Padfoot," Lily added softly, tilting her head towards Sirius. James coughed, sweat breaking out on his forehead.  
"Where is Padfoot?" James asked, looking around wildly. "Where is he?"  
Sirius cleared his throat and slid to his knees. "I'm here, mate," he whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."  
James looked at Sirius doubtfully. "You're not Padfoot," he said. Lily could almost see Sirius' heart break there and then. "Padfoot is black."  
"It's me," Sirius argued brokenly, hitting James in the thigh. James squeezed Lily's hand tighter.  
"I think he's asking you to transform," Remus said quietly, bending down to Sirius' height. "We'll hide you."

Remus quickly cast a notice-me-not charm around them. Without a second thought on the matter, without thinking of the consequences, Sirius transformed into his animagi form, because it was his best friend, and he was dying, and Sirius would do anything for James.

The joy on James' face was contagious when he saw Sirius transform. Lily tried to pull away to give them more room, but James refused to let go of her hand, and he was still stronger than her, even in his weakened state.  
Padfoot lay on the other side of James in front of Peter and Mary, his head resting on his paws as he looked at James mournfully. James scratched the underside of his jaw.

"Do you think she could have loved me, Padfoot?" James mumbled. "As bright as the sun, she was. A whole world away from me."

Lily couldn't help it. She began crying earnestly, not bothering to wipe away her tears, for what was the point in hiding them or pretending that James' death didn't hurt? Mary came over and rubbed her back consolingly.  
"Say something," Mary whispered. "Anything."  
Lily couldn't think of a single thing to say. James locked eyes with her once again and Lily could see he was deteriorating fast and he had only a few minutes left.  
"Do you think she could have loved me?" James asked once more.  
"I think that she would've been pleased to know that you loved her so much, you would disappear every night just to watch her shine every day," Lily choked out, deciding that a metaphor was better than anything she could have thought of. Lily grasped James' hand tighter, as if that could keep him alive for just a little bit longer. A smile graced James' face, but not the mischievous one Lily was so used to seeing. This one was peaceful, and that made it easier for Lily.

"I'll wait for you on the other side, Evans," James smiled.  
"Don't hold your breath, Potter," Lily retorted predictably, but she said it with a wide smile to let him know she was only teasing. James' smile widened in response and then, with a small sigh, his hand went limp in Lily's.

Lily wept earnestly now, gripping James' hand tighter in hers. What was the point in wishing he would return, wishing that he would smile just once more? Lily didn't know, but she did it anyway, and her sobs made almost no noise in comparison to Sirius' mournful cries, who had returned to his human form.  
"Prongs?" Sirius' voice was broken and deflated. He sounded so childish, so small, so desperate. "Prongs? _James_?"

But no response came, just as Lily knew there wouldn't, and she thought that deep down Sirius knew it too. Remus sunk to his knees as well, patting Sirius's back. Peter didn't – or couldn't – move, too overwhelmed with the current events to know how to react. They all wept for the boy at their feet, knowing that he was far too young to die but feeling comforted knowing that he died trying to save people, an honourable death that they all respected.

For this was war, and war was not discriminatory, and there was no way Death would give up the opportunity to take a life. James was only seventeen years old, but so were the rest of them, and this was what it was like, being too young and being the victims of a war they barely understood. War did not care what James' name was, or whose lives he'd touched, or who his friends were. It hurt without discrimination.


End file.
